Voices from Students
Introducing the voices of students
who have learned business Japanese at Linguage Japanese School.
Listen to our Linguagemates about learning and various supports
at Linguage Japanese Language School.
- Japanese Language School Top
- Voices from Students
- Varun & Angel
Varun & Angel
He(she) talks about the experiences at Linguage Japanese Language School
and about the job-hunting in Japan. In addition, he shares with us all the support he received at
Linguage Japanese Language School and the obstacles he faced, and finally what kind of job he found in Japan.
Varun Major：MarketingMetal Trading Company
Angel Major：SociologyLogistics System Manufacturer
Inverview with a Linguage Japanaese Language School
graduate, Varun & Angel.
Q:Could you tell us what made you decide to enroll at Linguage Japanese Language School?
Angel：At that time, I had about three years of experience living and working in Japan, and I was living in Mie Prefecture. Around my second to third year, I started thinking about changing jobs. I felt that my Japanese wasn’t yet at a business level, so I seriously researched good Japanese language schools. That’s when I found this school. At first, I didn’t like the idea of a school in Tokyo, but after having interviews with several teachers, I thought, “This is a good school,” and decided to enroll here.
Varun：Ever since I was a child, I had wanted to come to Japan and live here. When I worked for a month as an intern at a Japanese language school in India, the teachers there recommended Linguage Japanese Language School to me. I looked it up myself and thought it seemed like a great school. That’s what led me to enroll.
Q:When you enrolled at Linguage Japanese Language School, what was your Japanese level, and how much did you understand about working in Japanese society?
Varun：I couldn’t even read basic kanji. I think my speaking ability was okay, but I didn’t have many opportunities to speak, and I was a bit shy, so I felt embarrassed to talk. When I first came to Japan, I thought I understood how Japanese people think, but it turned out that was only the tip of the iceberg. After studying at Linguage for a year, I’m sure there are still things I don’t fully understand, but I really do feel I understand much more than before.
Angel：I had been studying on my own every single day, and I wanted to talk with Japanese people both at work and in different situations. I felt somewhat confident with everyday conversation, but I wasn’t confident when it came to using honorific language or speaking with superiors. After coming to Linguage Japanese Language School, I’ve been able to use honorifics in various situations, and now I feel a bit more confident. I know it’s still a long road ahead, but I believe I can keep learning many things with confidence.
Q:Over the course of your one year of study at Linguage Japanese Language School, do you feel you’ve grown in various ways?
Angel：During my job hunting, I was scared at first to have interviews with different people. But thanks to the school, I learned honorific Japanese and talked with the teachers, and I think that helped me gain confidence. Compared to a year ago, I wouldn’t say I’m a completely different person, but I’m definitely more confident now.
Varun：During my job hunting, I became able to read job descriptions and other details smoothly, and I could read kanji without any problem. Another thing is that when I attended company information sessions, I could fully understand the content. The company representatives used various honorific and business Japanese expressions, but I was able to understand them without any trouble.
Q:Through your studies at Linguage Japanese Language School, have there been any changes in your way of thinking or values? Do you feel you’ve changed as a person?
Varun：I think I’ve changed quite a lot. I learned the kind of politeness that’s unique to Japan, and before I knew it, bowing had become second nature to me. Now, I even think in both English and Japanese in my head. That’s another change I’ve noticed.
Angel：Next month will mark four years since I came to Japan, but compared to when I first arrived, I don’t think I’ve changed all that much. The main change is that I’ve gained confidence. Before, I could talk freely with friends—and even with people who weren’t my friends—but in very formal situations, I lacked confidence. I didn’t really know what might be rude or what I should say, and I was scared. Through talking with teachers at this school, chatting with classmates, and going through various interviews, I’ve definitely become more confident now.
Q:At Linguage Japanese Language School, the teachers are professionals with various kinds of work experience. How do you feel about the teachers?
Angel：I’ve worked as a teacher before, so from that experience, I understand how important a teacher’s personality and teaching style are. This school really has so many great teachers, and they don’t just teach lessons—they also casually ask things like, “How’s your job hunting going?” or “Where did you travel to?” Many of them have become not just “teachers” to me, but truly important people in my life.
Varun：Here, I also learned the kind of Japanese you really use in daily conversation. For example, I learned that in spoken language, “okite oku” (to put something down and leave it) is often said as “oitoku.” I also received a lot of support for job hunting. In fact, I got a job offer from a company I joined through a recruitment agency that one of my teachers introduced to me. I’m truly grateful for all the support I’ve received.
Q:At Linguage Japanese Language School, there are students from all over the world with diverse backgrounds. Could you tell us about your classmates?
Varun：My classmates are cheerful, and that makes the lessons even more enjoyable. More than that, seeing everyone work hard makes me want to work hard too. Once I got to know everyone better, we even went out for drinks together, and people whose personalities I thought wouldn’t match mine at first have now become good friends.
Angel：All of my classmates are kind, and we’re always laughing together—they’re really all such good people. Thanks to that influence, even after my former seniors graduated, I’ve made lots of new friends in my current class. Not only in lessons, but also when we hang out, eat together, drink, or travel, I truly feel I’ve made great friends. I think not only the teachers, but everyone at the school, are wonderful people.
Q:How do you think the knowledge and skills you gained at Linguage Japanese Language School will help you in your future career and goals?
Varun：I want to make use of everything I learned in the business Japanese classes in my future workplace. I also learned how to write business emails, so I’m sure that will be useful too.
Angel：I think learning Japanese is really a long journey. That’s because ever since I came to Japan, I’ve been studying on my own every single day and learning Japanese in all kinds of situations. But the Japanese I learned at school has really become my foundation. In the future, I’ll keep learning various kinds of honorific language, but I believe the honorifics I learned at school and the ones I’ll use at work are definitely connected. What I learned at school is the base. It’s still a long road ahead, but it’s so rewarding that I feel very motivated to keep working hard.